Since being diagnosed with the incurable blood cancer Multiple Myeloma in March 2024, I’ve known my life will never be the same again.
Daily exhaustion, bone pain, infection risk – the list goes on, but I’m now more determined than ever to make the most of life by seeing as much of the world as I am fit to, when I’m fit to.
I’d never heard of Myeloma before my shock diagnosis, despite it being the second most common blood cancer with approximately 6,500 people across the UK and Ireland diagnosed each year.
It’s a very individual illness, mostly affecting older men, which attacks the plasma cells in the bone marrow causing easy breakages, fatigue, dizziness and pain.
It’s a ‘relapse-remit’ illness with which life expectancy varies, though medical progress is rapidly working towards a cure, something I pray for every day!
I’d never heard of Myeloma before my shock diagnosis, despite it being the second most common blood cancer
— Emma Heatherington
I will always have good days and bad days as I learn to adapt to this ‘new normal’, so, with six months of chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, two whopping flu viruses and lots more behind me, I took a gamble on a good day and booked a two-night break for me and my artist fiancé Jim McKee in Edinburgh.
We planned to relax, reconnect and rejuvenate in a city that promises culture in buckets. I can testify it’s a promise well-kept!
Our hotel, the InterContinental Edinburgh The George (part of IHG Hotels and Resorts), was the affluent anchor to our stay.
With six months of chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and lots more behind me, I took a gamble on a good day and booked a two-night break for me and my artist fiancé Jim McKee in Edinburgh
— Emma Heatherington
Emma Heatherington at her hotel
Its prime location on George Street just off St Andrew’s Square made it simple to explore the city, with a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
From the moment we stepped into the historic charm of our King Junior Suite with a view of the castle in the near distance, I knew this trip was going to be special.
The contemporary comfort of the spacious room with a King size bed was perfect, especially since I need a lot of rest!
Junior Suites at The George are spacious, with king-size beds (Will Pryce)
A surprise treat was the lounge area with a fully stocked mini bar, a coffee machine and complimentary Scottish shortbread, while the bathroom boasted a freestanding clawfoot bath and a huge rainfall shower.
After a freshen up, we grabbed a taxi, some delicious Thai food then headed onto the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre where the world premiere of Wild Rose opened in late March.
Emma and Jim enjoyed a Thai meal in Edinburgh
I’m a huge musical theatre fan, so I was excited to secure tickets and soak up the story of ex-prisoner and single mum who wants to be a star in Nashville.
The script was super sharp, the acting was electric, the band was on fire and the humour was ‘oh so Glasgow’. We enjoyed every minute of it.
Emma outside The Royal Lyceum theatre
Breakfast in The George the next morning was a feast for the senses. A self-service buffet caters to all tastes, whether you fancy something light and fruity, something baked and buttery or a fry-up from the hot food bar.
There’s also an a la carte menu: I couldn’t resist trying the Eggs Royale with smoked salmon. Delicious!
A bonus for dog lovers is that The George is pet-friendly. While we left Lola, our toy poodle, at home this time, it’s great to know should we take the kids, dog and car on a future trip.
Speaking of cars, we were told that parking in Edinburgh can be tricky, but luckily there’s free on-street parking right outside The George at specified times.
Edinburgh is steeped in literature and art, so it was heaven to a writer like me and an artist like Jim as we followed the footsteps of names such as Rabbie Burns, Irvine Welsh and JK Rowling.
My daughter grew up obsessed with Harry Potter and his Hogwarts adventures, so I couldn’t help but get swept along on Victoria Street which I recognised as the inspiration for Diagon Alley. It’s also home to the official Harry Potter shop and The Elephant House Café, where Rowling wrote those early chapters.
The view of Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street Gardens (NAOMI VANCE PHOTOGRAPHY)
We later took a break in a community garden where volunteers showed us to a seat to lap up the sun and take in the breathtaking views of the castle.
Edinburgh’s time-hopping architecture is like jumping centuries on every corner as you cross from medieval Old Town – where you’ll find gritty, windy streets in areas like the Royal Mile – before crossing into the elegant and spacious Georgian style of New Town, where Princes Street is buzzing with busking bagpipers, shoppers and students basking in the springtime sun.
We explored The Grassmarket, working up a hunger for dinner later that evening in Le Petit Beefbar, our hotel’s ‘superstar’ restaurant led by Ricardo Giraudi.
Emma Heatherington enjoying the food and drink at Le Petit Beefbar
We chose starters from a street food style menu – a super kale salad with parmesan, avocado and anchovy dressing alongside a serving of cheesy baby quesadillas.
We couldn’t resist a selection of steaks for our main, with green veg, sauteed mushrooms, fries and bearnaise sauce, all washed down with a full-bodied Catena Malbec from Argentina.
I just had to sample a dessert, so we shared a vanilla cheesecake with cream and wild berries before declaring dinner a sublime experience from start to finish.
If exploring the streets of Edinburgh is like time travelling, dinner at The George hotel is like a feast of global gratuity!
Our cultural thirst was further quenched on our final day with a visit to The National Galleries of Scotland, a huge neoclassical which building resembles a Greek temple from the outside.
The Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh
It’s impossible to miss, nestled neatly in the valley between Old Town and New Town just off Princes Street. Inside, you’ll see works by Van Gogh, Monet and Turner – a treat for all ages, and a leisurely morning well spent. It’s free entry, too.
Getting to and from Edinburgh is a doddle: the flight with Easyjet from Belfast lasts less than an hour, while the tram from the airport into the city is simple and smooth.
While I know there’s so much more to see and do in this medieval metropolis, for me, our first trip away on a couple’s break was like a baby step back to reality, and a reminder of how even though life is very different now, it can still be enjoyed.
I’m so grateful to have been able to take a laid-back look at the world, albeit through different eyes, and to have experienced such a memorable visit to a homely hotel with a lapping of luxury, super-attentive staff and fine dining.
Edinburgh (Alamy Stock Photo)
I’d imagined Edinburgh – a blast of the bagpipes, a world of whiskey, of tasteful tartans and colourful kilts, getting lost in a maze of cobbled streets in the shadow of a castle on a rock – but being there was even better.
You might even say it was just what the doctor ordered: to raise the spirits, to fill the soul, to lift the heart and a whole lot more.
The InterContinental Edinburgh The George – part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ has rooms starting from £270. Visit edinburgh.intercontinental.com for more information.